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April 2017 42 Find Us On Facebook at Boating On The Hudson
In 2017, we will be experiencing our third season of the
implementation of slot limits for breeding class striped bass that
come every year to the Hudson River to spawn. For those who are
new to this, the slot limit is set from 28”- 40”and works as such that
any stripers that are within this slot must be released unharmed
back into the river. So, how has it been working?
As a charter boat owner/operator for over 18 yrs. I must admit
that I was a bit skeptical on how this slot limit for stripers would
actually work out. On face value, it seemed to me that we would
be releasing over 90 % of all the fish that my clients hooked up. My
concern was how would my clients re-act to what would become a
virtual catch and release fishery.
During the 2015 season, we got to experience the slot limit for
the first time and the reaction of my clients to it. There were those
fishermen that didn’t seem very happy with releasing stripers that
were in the slot. In the Coeymans’Landing area where we are head-
quartered, the majority of our fish fall within the upper limit of the
slot, typically measuring in the 36-38” range. With the previous law
by Capt. Jimmy Samia Slot
Limits
on the
Hudson
River for
Striped
Bass